Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

Repeat: Tracee Ellis Ross’ earliest memories involved traveling the world with her mother, Diana Ross, but it was at the age of 22 that she discovered what solo travel could give her. This episode, Lale sits down with Tracee  to discuss how solo travel can be an act of radical self care, her Roku show Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross, and her flamboyant and joy-filled packing lists.

Author and wild swimmer Freya Bromley returns to tell Lale why the restorative power of nature still holds true for her, the joy and community she has found at a women’s swimming retreat in Cornwall, and her favorite—and little known—island for escaping to each summer. Plus, she extolls the virtues of puffin sightings.

Earlier this year, Lale reported a feature for Condé Nast Traveler on the Iditarod, the annual sled dog race that crosses 1,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness. She catches up with podcast regular, writer, and adventurer Blair Braverman to swap stories of traveling through Alaska. Plus, Blair shares her experiences from another dramatic landscape she had long dreamed of visiting: Antarctica.

Lale talks to frequent guest and train expert Monisha Rajesh about her recent night train journeys.

Rebroadcast:There are few places in the world where you won't encounter a cat. So a few years ago, Hannah Shaw, who has dedicated much of her life and work to caring for them, set out tomeet and document has many as she could across the globe—spotlighting the extraordinary places they live and the people who care for them along the way. Lale chats with the animal welfare advocate, bestselling author, and educator about her many travels, from Turkey to Chile to Oman, and finds out what she learned along the way.

Lale sits down in the studio with Condè Nast Traveler editors (and regular WWT guests) Megan Spurrell and Arati Menon to find out their top destinations for the summer, as well as where they have bookmarked for the rest of the year—from Peru to Newfoundland to the Scottish Highlands.

(A rebroadcast). Each year, Erin French receives 60,000 postcards from people asking if they can dine at her Maine restaurant The Lost Kitchen. “It really becomes a luck of the draw lottery. We have big post office bins that arrive and we literally reach in, we grab a postcard, we call that person immediately and say, ‘Okay, when do you want to come?’” This episode, Erin shares with Lale what it’s like to experience her beloved restaurant, now in its 11th season, and spills on her new cooking and travel show on Max, Getting Lost With Erin French, which sees the chef road trip across the US in search of new ingredients and inspiration, and sharing meals with Texas farmers, New Orleans chefs, and more.

In 1954, a young David Attenborough made his début as the star of a new nature show called “Zoo Quest.” The docuseries, which ran for nearly a decade on the BBC, was a sensation that set Attenborough down the path of his life’s work: exposing viewers to our planet’s most miraculous creatures and landscapes from the comfort of their living rooms. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz trace Attenborough’s filmography from “Zoo Quest” to his program, “Mammals,” a six-part series on BBC America narrated by the now- ninety-eight-year-old presenter. In the seventy years since “Zoo Quest” first aired, the genre it helped create has had to reckon with the effects of the climate crisis—and to figure out how to address such hot-button issues onscreen. By highlighting conservation efforts that have been successful, the best of these programs affirm our continued agency in the planet’s future. “One thing I got from ‘Mammals’ was not pure doom,” Schwartz says. “There are some options here. We have choices to make.” Read, watch, and listen with the critics: “Mammals” (2024) “Zoo Quest” (1954-63) “Are We Changing Planet Earth?” (2006) “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Leopard-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143105515">The Snow Leopard</a>,” by Peter Matthiessen “My Octopus Teacher” (2020) “Life on Our Planet” (2023) “I Like to Get High at Night and Think About Whales,” by Samantha Irby New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-cal-feeddrop">wherever you get your podcasts</a>. This episode originally aired on July 11, 2024. 

What is it like growing up in one of the most storied and iconic hotels in Italy? Ask Valentina de Santis, who was raised in the kitchens and ballrooms of Lake Como's Grand Hotel Tremezzo and now runs the charismatic Passalacqua along with her parents nearby. Lale chats with the hotelier to hear stories of life on Lake Como, get tips on traveling in both summer and the off-season, and what it really means to live La Dolce Vita.

Born and raised in Singapore, Jemimah Wei uses her hometown as the backdrop to her new novel, The Original Daughter—a story of sisterhood and family drama set in the turn of the millennium. But as well as it being a great source of inspiration for the author, she also believes it to be a great destination for solo travelers. Lale sits down with Wei for her tips on how to plan a trip, navigate its vibrant hawker centers, and make the most of its 24/7 culture.

There are over 60 national parks in the United States—and they're never more popular than at the peak of summer. This year, however, might look a little bit different as a result of sweeping budget cuts that impact everything from how the trails are maintained to the park rangers who guide you. To help us understand what to expect—and plan our next trip—associate articles director and podcast regular, Megan Spurrell, joins host Lale Arikoglu to parse the nuances of the national parks, like which ones are lesser-trafficked and why, to how to be a thoughtful visitor, and shares the best things to do at some of her favorites.

In 2023, Eva Longoria headed to Mexico with CNN in search of a deeper understanding of the country’s rich culinary heritage and her own family history. Last month, she returned to our screens with a brand new season, Searching for Spain, which takes her all over the country to explore the vast regional scope of its cuisine and learn about her Spanish ancestors. Lale sits down with the actor and television host to find out how she chose the destinations for each episode, her most memorable meals in places like San Sebastián and Andalusia, and how food can be an entry point to connecting more deeply with history—and each other. 

In Hawa Hassan's second cookbook, the chef and author explores the recipes and stories born out of displacement, and the sense of community and resilience that can be found through food. Lale chats with her about the travels and research behind the book, which took her to The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Lebanon, among others, as well as how her own path from Somalia to the US informed her personal food journey.

Today, we are sharing an episode of Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, the chart-topping and Webby Award-winning podcast from our friends at Nature on PBS. Back for a brand new season, Going Wild features some of the coolest champions of nature – like a paleoanthropologist who hunts fossils in conflict zones, and a former butterfly technician who saved an endangered species while incarcerated. Each episode explores what led them to create change within themselves, their community, and the natural world. In today’s episode, you hear from Alexis Nikole Nelson, better known to her millions of fans on TikTok as the “Black Forager.” She talks all about rediscovering her childhood love of foraging and falling back in love with food and plants. It’s a really inspiring conversation, and just one example of the many exciting stories in the brand new season of Going Wild. To listen to the rest of their new season, follow Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Our guest this week is British journalist Emma Lunn, an avid hiker who has hit the trails all over the world. But a particularly memorable solo walk for her was closer to home—across the English countryside, and filled with dramatic moors and grand coastlines. Lale chats with Lunn to find out how she pulled it off, why she believes in the healing powers of hiking, and how she navigated both unexpected wildlife and eccentric fellow travelers.

Is there anywhere left in the world that is truly quiet? This episode, we seek to find out, with Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler’s Global Digital Director, and writer Yulia Denisyuk joining Lale in the studio to talk about their favorite quiet places—from the sprawling deserts of Wadi Rum, Jordan, to the Makgadikgadi salt pans of Botswana. And if you’re still left wanting more inspiration for finding stillness on our noisy planet, check out our fully list of quiet places on cntraveler.com after listening.

National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts joined the group Diving With a Purpose to explore slave shipwrecks and found unexpected connections with her own ancestors.

Ever fantasized about giving up the grind and starting a new life in Italy? This week, we hear from a listener who did just that, swapping her life in San Francisco for the rolling hills of Piedmont, where she renovated a 300-year-old farmhouse’ and built a new life—‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ style. Listen to the episode to find out how Barbara Boyle, who penned the experience in her new memoir ‘Pinch Me,’ pulled the move off and found joy and community in a small Italian town.

If you’ve been absorbed by the latest season of The White Lotus over the past few weeks, you’ve probably found yourself Googling images of Thailand and wondering whether to book a flight there ASAP. Or perhaps you were once seduced by the fantasy of Eat, Pray, Love and considered  dropping all your responsibilities in favor of seeking a path of self discovery in Bali? When it comes to our favorite television shows and movies, the location is often a central character—so much so, that we end up framing our travel plans around it. But what real-life impact can that have on a destination? This week, Lale chats with journalist Shannon Sims to break down the trend of ‘set jetting’ and find out what happens to our favorite places when everyone decides to visit at the same time.

Right before filming the latest season of White Lotus, Natasha Rothwell booked herself a silent Buddhist retreat—a move she says reflects her deep spiritual roots. In this week’s episode, Lale chats with the actor and longtime traveler about returning as the character of Belinda in Mike White’s hit HBO dramedy, her own relationship with wellness, and what it was like to spend six months in Thailand for the show.

  With French-Haitian roots, and multiple cities she can call home, Naïka is a self-proclaimed Third Culture Kid—an identity that she explores regularly through her music. Lale speaks with the singer-songwriter, who at the time is wrapping up her day in Paris, about how singing in multiple languages helps her tap into different parts of herself, her upcoming album, and a childhood spent across continents.   

Tracee Ellis Ross’ earliest memories involved traveling the world with her mother, Diana Ross, but it was at the age of 22 that she discovered what solo travel could give her. This episode, Lale sits down with Tracee, who on March 8 will be honored on Women Who Travel’s annual Power List, to discuss how solo travel can be an act of radical self care, her upcoming Roku show Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross, and her flamboyant and joy-filled packing lists

With the Academy Awards days away, Lale talks to actor-activist Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays Hattie in the Oscar nominated film "Nickel Boys". Aunjanue talks about the joy and pain of growing up in Mississippi which she still calls home, as well as her suggestions on what to see - and not see - on a road trip though the South. 

Sound baths. Silent retreats. Cryotherapy. When it comes to wellness, there’s an encyclopedia’s worth of experiences, treatments, and rituals to dip your toe into. But where on earth to start? This week, Lale is joined by three experts—Lydia Bell, Traveller UK’s senior features editor, Yariella Coello, the blogger behind The Beauty Backpacker, and Jen Murphy, a writer who reports regularly on wellness tourism—to demystify the jargon and find out how to start planning your own trip.

Polycurious? Or perhaps you’re simply curious to know more about the word polyamory? We’ve got you covered with a special Valentine’s Day episode dedicated to everything from traveling polycules and triads to advice on how to open up your relationship on the road for the first time—all courtesy of journalist Anna Silman, senior features reporter at Business Insider, who joins Lale in the studio.

Born and raised in Lagos, Lisa Folawiyo has spent her career celebrating the craftsmanship of her Nigerian heritage by combining sharp, contemporary tailoring with traditional West African prints and textiles, and bringing the fashion of her hometown onto the global stage (the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Issa Rae, and Solange Knowles have walked the red carpet in her designs). In this week's episode, Lale chats with the fashion designer about her process, Lagos style, the markets that inspire her, and more.

There are few places in the world where you won't encounter a cat. So a few years ago, Hannah Shaw, who has dedicated much of her life and work to caring for them, set out tomeet and document has many as she could across the globe—spotlighting the extraordinary places they live and the people who care for them along the way. Lale chats with the animal welfare advocate, bestselling author, and educator about her many travels, from Turkey to Chile to Oman, and finds out what she learned along the way.

Brooke Shields has spent most of her life traveling the world for work—but until recently, she’d never traveled solo. In this week’s episode, the actor chats with Lale about a recent trip to Florence that changed all that, her most memorable movie locations, building confidence as a traveler, and what she hopes readers will take away from her new book Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old.

  It’s a few weeks into the year and, already, we’re planning everywhere we want to go next. Lale chats with her well-traveled colleagues Megan Spurrell and Arati Menon about the best places to go in 2025—everywhere from Greenland and Alaska to India and Uganda—and gets tips on how to pull some of those ambitious (and more attainable) trips off.

Since the documentary ‘Will &amp; Harper’ first hit our screens in 2024, it’s received accolades for its poignant depiction of friendship and the ways we seek to understand each other’s lived experiences. In this week’s episode, Lale sits down with Harper Steele to talk about driving across the US with her best friend, actor Will Ferrell, for the movie, her enduring love of dive bars, and what it’s like to navigate the complexities of contemporary America as a trans woman.

One of our favorite episodes from Atlas Obscura. Producer Alexa Lim visits a collection of natural aromas in Berkeley, California. She gets a whiff of some of the world’s lesser known smells, and stumbles down the rabbit hole of the hidden world of scents.

Should I check my luggage or carry-on? Fold or roll? Bring one pair of shoes or...seven? Packing for a trip, when done well, can feel like an art form—yet one that few of us seem to have figured out. This week, Chloe Malle, Editor of Vogue.com and the co-host of Vogue’s podcast The Run-Through with Vogue, joins Lale in the studio to dish her packing wisdom—and answer listeners' burning questions.

To wrap up 2024, executive producer Stephanie Kariuki joins Lale in the studio to look back at some of their favorite episodes over the past twelve months—from actor Emma Roberts on her love of train travel and Normal Gossip’s Kelsey McKinney on the perils of group travel, to three photojournalists on documenting life during war in Ukraine, Yemen, and Gaza.

We’re diving into something we’re all doing a lot of around the holiday season: partying. In Ukraine, where our two guests are based, rave culture has become a necessary vehicle for letting off steam, distraction, and finding joy. Lale talks to Kyiv-based journalist Anastacia Galouchka, and novelist Haska Shyyan, who lives in Lviv, about what raving means to them and the power of community and safe spaces during unimaginable turbulence and uncertainty. This episode is a rerun. It recently won a Society of American Travel Writers Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award.

Selassie Atadika is a chef, food innovator, and the founder of Midunu, a nomadic private dining experience based out of Accra, Ghana. She’s also happened to have visited 40 African countries. Lale chats with Atadika about the rich bounty of diverse cuisine to be found across Africa, some of her most memorable travel experiences, making artisanal chocolate, and the enduring intersection of food and politics.

We revisit our conversation with Gabrielle Union about her BET docuseries, in which she celebrates her 50th birthday on a trip across Africa with her husband, Dwyane Wade, their children, and friends.

This episode, we join Ashley C. Ford, a writer, educator, and host of the podcast Monumental, and move around the country to find out more about statues, monuments, memorials, and landmarks. Who gets to choose to put them up? And how are our ideas about them changing? Plus, Ashley shares her own personal stories about the monuments that changed her ways of thinking.

Comedian Cat Cohen returns to the podcast with stories of the Edinburgh Festival, a long-awaited trip to Australia after a challenging year, and nights spent on the world’s various comedy stages. Plus, she teases her first album, and looks back on her award-winning standup show The Twist…? She's Gorgeous, which has now landed on Netflix.

In this episode of Travel That Matters, Bruce speaks with Divia, the Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast Traveler, about her home country of India, inclusive of the bustling scene in Goa, the best time of year to visit, where to find the best jewelry, and the thrills of a tiger safari (and how it’s different than the safari experience in African countries). Divia gives useful tips like how to see India without falling into a tourist trap, if you should see the Taj Mahal or skip it, where to go if you have particular hobbies such as hiking or skiing, and how to find authentic food in India. Divia also tells us about her favorite Indian dish, mentions a few specific restaurants in India that you'll want to try, and talks about Indian cuisine in London, where she lives today. Listen to Travel That Matters wherever you get your podcasts. 

Women make up just 7% of truckers in the United States—a number that shows no sign of increasing, even while the industry suffers from a huge shortage of workers. We hear from trucker Desiree Wood, whose job has taken her to 48 states, about the freedom of life on the road, the dangers that herself and women colleagues face, and the joys that come with the occassional return trip home.

Kelsey McKinney has received more than her fair share of salacious tips during her tenure as the host of Normal Gossip. One theme that crops up time and time again? Group travel. This week, Lale chats with the podcaster and author of the upcoming book, You Didn’t Hear This From Me, to find out about her own memorable travel escapades, the places she loves for eavesdropping and connecting with strangers, and why she’ll never, ever, go on another bachelorette.

Emma Roberts has acted in TV thrillers like American Horror Story and Scream Queens, as well as movies including We Are the Millers, Valentines Day, and Hotel for Dogs. She also happens to be both an avid traveler and the founder of online reading community Belletrist. Lale chats with the actor about the books she likes to travel with (and where she likes to buy them), her love of train travel, and one of her all-time favorite cities: New Orleans.

With the US election looming, this week’s episode is a dispatch from Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, who is in the midst of touring 114 college campuses and hosting  parties to mobilize newly eligible voters. She shares stories from the road, what she’s hearing from young voters, and how her own heritage influenced her career as a youth vote organizer.

Food has the power to forge connections, and for Palestinian American chef Reem Assil that means using the flavors, aromas, and hospitality of Arab cooking to strengthen and grow her community in Oakland. Reem chats with Lale about her visionary bakery Reems, her family’s Palestinian and Syrian legacies, the surreal experience of winning a James Beard award, and her own personal ties with Gaza.

Earlier this year, New Yorker writer Rebecca Mead reported on the scandals taking place within the British Museum—and its own history of cultural theft that continues to define how we approach it as a museum today. Lale joins Rebecca on the ground in London to learn more about the institution she grew up visiting—and more broadly, how to tackle some of the world’s biggest museums in a way that’s both fulfilling and, well, fun. 

Ever contemplated studying abroad? Charissa Enget needed to find an engineering course she could afford and eventually found one in rural Thailand—drawn in by a scholarship and low living costs. In a listener dispatch, Charissa shares how she learned Thai in six months, made a new circle of friends, traveled around the country in her free time, and finally decided to make Thailand a permanent fixture in her life.

If a new opportunity comes your way, are you ready to take it? When professional photographer Leslie McKellar was forced to move out of her apartment in 2020 because of toxic mold, she took it as an opportunity to reevaluate her trajectory. After realizing her calling to travel full-time, she set out a plan to make it happen and left for Europe in January 2022. Listen to Zero to Travel wherever you get your podcasts.

Our solo travel mini series has followed guests on a work trip to Cannes and a six-month backpacking odyssey across South America. But in this third and final installment, we speak to a guest who pushed themselves even further—to Antarctica. Lale chats with Preet Chandhi, an endurance athlete who’s broken records skiing alone across one of the world’s most brutal and isolated landscapes, to find out how she trained for it, combatted loneliness, and relied on her survival skills during multiple polar expeditions.

In the second installment of our solo travel series, we hear from Christie Bowers, who spent six months backpacking across South America, stopping everywhere from the Amazon to Argentina. She shares how she planned the trip, budgeted for it, and navigated both the joys and challenges of going it alone far from home.

In the first installment of our three-part solo travel series, Zakiya Gibbons, host of dating podcast Hang Up, recounts a pretty glamorous work trip to Cannes—and shares how she navigated moments of loneliness, figured out ways to prioritize downtime and actually see the destination, and even managed to squeeze in a date.

As part of Condé Nast Traveler’s music and travel coverage this month, Lale sits down with reggae singer Lila Iké to find out about life in Kingston, the old school influences that still shape her music now, and what it was like performing live on stage for the first time. But even as she tours the world, she remains faithful to Jamaica’s reggae heritage. “I am a very Jamaican girl,” says Iké. “I grew up in the country, and it doesn't get any more Jamaican than that. I'm a very rootsy, and my music reflects a lot of that.” Eager for more once you’ve listened? Don’t miss Iké’s local’s guide to Kingston on cntraveler.com.

Freezing your eggs can be logistically challenging—and costly—here in the US, which is why some women are turning their sights overseas. Lale chats with Los Angeles-based Esther Yu McElroy about her own fertility journey, one that took her all the way to Barcelona with a stop in London along the way.

The Paris Olympics are in full swing, but far away from the main stadium, the world’s greatest surfers are taking on Tahiti’s biggest wave as part of the competition. Lale catches up with Condé Nast Traveler’s Megan Spurrell, who flew out to the French Polynesian island to witness the power of the wave firsthand—and speak to the women surfers who are riding it in the hopes of winning gold. (After listening, read her full story <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/surfing-in-tahiti-french-polynesia">here</a>.)

Last time Lale chatted with outdoors expert and Condé Nast Traveler contributor Emily Pennington she was fresh off her book tour for Feral, a memoir chronicling her mission to visit every national park in the US. This week, Emily rejoins us in the studio to talk about what she’s been up to since then, including adventures in Patagonia, how she’s prioritizing her wellbeing while still exploring the outdoors, and her tips for getting out into the wilderness in exciting—and safe—ways.

Each year, Erin French receives 60,000 postcards from people asking if they can dine at her Maine restaurant The Lost Kitchen. “It really becomes a luck of the draw lottery. We have big post office bins that arrive and we literally reach in, we grab a postcard, we call that person immediately and say, ‘Okay, when do you want to come?’” This episode, Erin shares with Lale what it’s like to experience her beloved restaurant, now in its 11th season, and spills on her new cooking and travel show on Max, Getting Lost With Erin French, which sees the chef road trip across the US in search of new ingredients and inspiration, and sharing meals with Texas farmers, New Orleans chefs, and more.

We travel for all sorts of reasons: self-discovery, something new, a chance to break out of our routines. But how often is it truly restorative? In a rerun of an episode from last year, Lale talks to activist, educator, entrepreneur, and ardent solo traveler Rachel Cargle about creating calm in every step of a journey—and her new memoir and manifesto, A Renaissance of Our Own

Ever dreamed of swapping your current life for a brand new one in Paris? That’s what Jane Bertch did, who chronicles her own journey, and the French cooking school she subsequently opened, in her new memoir The French Ingredient. Lale chats with Jane about the lessons she’s learned (culinary and otherwise) from her years spent in Paris, her tips for shopping the city’s many boulangeries and fromageries, and all the characters she’s met along the way.

In her book Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad, Dr. Tamara J. Walker recounts stories of 20th-century African-Americans who chose to build their lives outside of the United States—everywhere from Paris to Nairobi. Lale chats with Tamara about the romantic notions of 20th-century Paris and the creatives who made it their home, like James Baldwin and Florence Mills, as well as her own travel experiences around the world and what it means to be a global citizen.

Mumtaz Mustafa and Laura Klynstra are best friends who love to cook—and host—together. Lale chats with them about how their respective childhoods in Pakistan and Michigan helped shape their passion for food, travels in Guatemala, and memories of Karachi street snacks and Dutch potlucks.

There’s nothing quite like the magic of a Scandinavian summer, where daylight is near endless and hundreds of islands come to life for locals to explore and retreat to. Author Dorthe Nors—and repeat guest on this show—joins us to share stories of life on the Danish island of Fano, fascinating folklore, and tips on creating your own island hopping journey this summer.

Gabe and her husband have befriended an American couple in Treviso, Italy, where they all live. In order to give them a taste of home, Gabe would love to cook her new friends an American meal. But what typifies American food? And how can she source the right ingredients in the Veneto? Host of Dinner SOS Chris Morocco enlists the help of Bon Appetit's resident Aussie, Adam Moussa, and sommelier André Mack of BA's World of Wine series, to figure out what Gabe should make. Listen to and follow Dinner SOS here: <a href="https://listen.bonappetit.com/badinnersos">https://listen.bonappetit.com/badinnersos</a>

It’s summer, which means we're grabbing every chance there is to hit the beach or dive into a hotel swimming pool. But some travelers are a little more intrepid, plunging into wild, frigid waters for all manner of reasons. To find out why, Lale chats with writer and wild swimmer Freya Bromley about her recent memoir The Tidal Year and catches up with friend of the podcast and author Dorthe Nors, who lives on a remote part of Denmark’s west coast.

What is it like growing up in one of the most storied and iconic hotels in Italy? Ask Valentina de Santis, who was raised in the kitchens and ballrooms of Lake Como's Grand Hotel Tremezzo and now runs the charismatic Passalacqua along with her parents nearby. Lale chats with the hotelier to hear stories of life on Lake Como, get tips on traveling in both summer and the off-season, and what it really means to live La Dolce Vita.

What does it take to eat well—and simply? To find out, Lale chats with Yasmin Fahr, author of the new book Cook Simply Live Fully (and former undercover restaurant critic), for advice on shopping at local markets, how to make use of an Airbnb kitchen, and the joy of cooking far from home. Plus, she shares stories of island life on her home of Menorca.

This week, Lale speaks with women who risk their lives to document conflict and catastrophe around the world—and who are all recipients of a Courage in Photojournalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation. Listen to hear Cairo-based Nariman El-Mofty, who has been traveling through Yemen and Sudan, and Anastasia Taylor-Lind, whose work is focused on Ukraine, share stories of the human side of war, as well as a message from Samar Abu Elouf, a photojournalist from Gaza City.

Tiffany Mathias, a self-confessed baseball stadium chaser (and, incidentally, Lale’s sister-in-law), recounts her quest to visit every ballpark in the US, touring the stadiums, chatting to ushers and fans, and sampling the often eccentric local concessions—often as a solo traveler. To watch a game in a new stadium, says Tiffany, is “to be in her happy place.”

Life begins again in spring, and as the air (and your nostrils) fill with pollen it might be a good time to learn something new about the plants with which we share the earth. To do so, Lale talks to nature writer Jessica J. Lee about how, as she's lived around the world, learning about non-native plants has given her a sense of belonging. From cherry blossoms to seaweed to tea, plants cross borders by themselves, or because we move them for very different reasons.

With summer travels on the horizon, Lale taps professional astrologer—and Women Who Travel columnist—Steph Koyfman to read her chart and guide her through the season and the rest of the year. Plus, we hear from three listeners who are thinking about relocating, getting citizenship in a new place, and undertaking a life changing trek, and turn to Steph for clarity.

Traveling everywhere from the savannahs of Tanzania to the mountains of Montana, Dr. Rae Wynn Grant is on a mission to save the world’s most endangered species. Lale chats with the wildlife ecologist, podcaster, author and co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom to hear stories from her new memoir, WILD LIFE: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World (including a dicey near death experience), how she’s advocating for better representation in the environmental science space, and why everyone should have access to the outdoors.

As Women's History Month comes to a close, we dive into the stories of two pioneering pilots: Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman. Yet while the legend of Earhart’s aviation feats and mysterious disappearance has long gripped the public imagination, Coleman’s equally impressive career as the first African-American woman to hold a pilot license is a story that still largely goes untold. Lale chats with Dorothy Cochrane, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, to find out more about both pilots record-breaking flights, the risks they took, the individual challenges they faced, and the ingenious ways they advocated for themselves.

This week Lale chats with author Chantha Nguon—along with her daughter Clara and co-author Kim Green—about her new memoir Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes. Listen to hear the trio share stories of their travels across Cambodia and collaborations in the kitchen, while Chantha reflects on life as a Cambodian refugee, life in 1960s Battambang, and the dishes that have always kept her connected to home.

Following the release of Condé Nast Traveler's annual Women Who Travel Power List, spotlighting 15 leaders like activist Quannah ChasingHorse, <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/LTZFSlMP?sid=CondeNast">TV host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant</a>, and content creator Charlotte Simpson, Lale and fellow editor Megan Spurrell get together in the studio to chat about how they shaped the list, the ways it's guiding their travel decisions, and ask the question: How should we use our power, once we have it?

In honor of International Women's Day, Lale chats with award-winning director Lulu Wang, who is featured on Condé Nast Traveler's 2024 Women Who Travel Power List, about creating the worlds of Expats and The Farewell, the importance of using filmmaking to highlight untold stories, and her journey to becoming an award-winning director—without making compromises.

It's an election year, and already journalists are traveling all over the country to tell voters the most important stories from the trail. But what is it like to cover the US presidential race as a foreign reporter? Lale chats with three correspondents from Canada and Europe as they share tales of blizzards, campfires in Tennessee, and late-night eats after long days of breaking news.

In her upcoming book Enchanted Islands: Travels Through Myth and Magic, Love &amp; Loss, author Laura Coffey charts a real-life journey she took inspired by one of the most epic travel stories ever told: The Odyssey. Lale catches up with Coffey to find out how the famous poem informed where she went, the unforgettable meals she ate, and the cast of characters she met along the way.

In 2019, friend of the podcast Jessica Nabongo became the first Black woman to visit every country in the world—and document it all along the way. We check back in with her to find out how and where she’s traveling in 2024, and revisit a conversation about solo travel from an earlier episode.

Love doesn’t sleep just because you’re traveling. This episode, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re dedicating an episode to our listeners’ stories, from tales of a windswept singles resort, to a fling in a Toronto hotel, to a surprising encounter in China. Whether you love or hate this holiday, or love to hate it, we promise this episode will be a fun one.

This week, we chat with journalist Laura Trethewey, author of The Deepest Map: The High-Stakes Race to Chart the World's Oceans, about traveling to the deepest parts of the ocean, sailing on research boats across some of the most remote and roughest seas in the world, and the intrepid deep sea divers and scientists who are racing to map the ocean floors.

Twenty one countries make up Latin America—and within those countries lies myriad food cultures, recipes, and histories. This week, Lale chats with guest Sandra A. Gutierrez about her latest cookbook Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America, an encyclopedic exploration of the region through its dishes and the home cooks who make them. Plus, her travels in countries like Peru and Colombia, and insider tips for tracking down the best eats in a new city.

Slow travel is a buzzy term these days, but what does it actually mean? Over the coming months, we'll explore what it takes to travel slowly and more intentionally, starting with this week's episode: A conversation with travel writer and adventurer Alice Morrison, who spent seven months walking across Morocco alongside a group of nomads. 

It's a new year, which means it's time to stop daydreaming and start planning your travels for the next 12 months. Can't decide where to visit? Start listening to find out the best places to go in 2024—from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Accra, Ghana—according to Condé Nast Traveler editors Arati Menon and Sarah James.

In a special episode from The New Yorker's Critics At Large, the celebrity memoir has long been a place for public figures to set the record straight on the story of their lives. By any measure, Britney Spears’s life, as detailed in her new book, “The Woman in Me,” is rich material. The pop star rose to fame in the early two-thousands, and, after enduring a series of mental-health crises, was placed in a conservatorship through which her father controlled almost every aspect of her day-to-day existence. On this episode of Critics at Large, the staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss the “horror story” that emerges in the memoir as the teen-aged Spears is betrayed by everyone around her: a family intent on profiting off her talent; a young Justin Timberlake, who used his romance with Spears as a stepping stone for his own career; a ravenous media that both sexualized and shamed her. The hosts consider how “The Woman in Me” fits within the broader canon of celebrity memoirs, citing the producer Julia Phillips’s “burn-it-all-down” best-seller, “You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again,” and the late Matthew Perry’s 2022 meditation on his struggles with addiction, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” Ultimately, these stories are just one facet of a broader narrative—and a kind of performance in their own right. “Once you submit to being a celebrity, your music, and how you appear in magazines, and what you produce as a memoir all contribute to this one big text,” Cunningham says. “It’s this grand synthesis, and, in the end, the text is Britney herself.”

For our last episode of the year, we’re diving into something we’re all doing a lot of around the holiday season: partying. And in Ukraine, where our two guests are based, rave culture has become a necessary vehicle for letting off steam, distraction, and finding joy. Back in November, Lale caught up with Kyiv-based journalist Anastacia Galouchka, who recently penned a story on the capital’s rave scene for Stranger’s Guide, and novelist Haska Shyyan, who lives in Lviv, about what raving means to them and the power of community and safe spaces during unimaginable turbulence and uncertainty.

We dive into the thorny issue of passport privilege thanks this week’s guest, Shahnaz Habib, author of the new book Airplane Mode. Why do some travelers gain more visa free access than others? Who determines how a place is seen through the lens of its guidebooks? And what does the word wanderlust mean, exactly? Shahnaz seeks to answer all that and more, and shares some of her own travel stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice

Is there a more universally used beauty product than eyeliner? Not according to author Zahra Hankir, who chats with Lale about her new book Eyeliner: A Cultural History, which looks at the meaning and symbolism of kohl around the world, from Kyoto to Chad, as well as throughout the Middle East—and dives into her own personal history with the enduring piece of makeup.

Braving the Grand Canyon’s Rapids

Is Travel Good for Your Relationship? We Tap Dr. Orna Guralnik for Answers

Hong Kong’s Untold Stories

A Vogue Editor’s Packing Secrets

Susan Orlean’s Extraordinary Travels

A Witch Expert on Salem

New York's Chinatown Through the Eyes of a Family That's Been There for Generations (Re-Run)

Life on a Windswept Scottish Island

Making Dinner On a Group Trip

The Romance and Reality of Sleeper Trains

Morocco, Music, and More With Faouzia

When You Travel to Eat With Bon Appétit

Walking Pompeii With Rebecca Mead

As summer comes to a close, Lale catches up with one last listener about her recent trip to Oaxaca, where she found herself sharing a transformative hiking experience with a group of women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In another special mini episode of Women Who Travel, Lale takes a call from listener Margaret, who is so fascinated with an international trip her mother took in the 1950s that she's now working to recreate it for herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the Road for the FIFA World Cup

Listener Dispatch: Camping Gone Awry

In a special mini episode of Women Who Travel, Lale gets on the phone with South Carolina-based listener Cinelle to hear about her recent, long-awaited trip home to the Philippines—and the food she was in search for once she got there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Climbing Mountains

Solo Travel, According to Rachel Cargle

The Wild Swimming Phenomenon

Sasheer Zamata and Nicole Byer on Becoming the Perfect Travel Companions

Do National Dishes Really Exist?

Gabrielle Union’s Birthday Journey Across Africa

New York's Chinatown Through the Eyes of a Family That's Been There for Generations

Living Wildly in Patagonia With Conservationist Kris Tompkins

Writer Elise Hu on Life in Seoul and the Rise of K Beauty

Special Episode: Catalina Island Bison Herd from Atlas Obscura

An Episode Dedicated to the Ultimate Travel Companions—Our Mothers

Journalist Lyse Doucet Likes to Think of the BBC as Her Passport

Arsema Thomas on Filming the 'Bridgerton' Spin-Off in English Country Homes and Traveling Across Africa

What It Takes to Become a Free Diver, Caring for Our Oceans, and More

‘Love & Death’ Director Lesli Linka Glatter on Capturing Texas and Travels in Tokyo

The Weird and Wonderful World of Road Tripping

Traveling the World for Its Birds, With Mya-Rose Craig

Listener Stories From Around the World

What It's Like to Visit Every National Park in America

What Chelsea Handler Learned From Her 90-Stop U.S. Tour

Exploring European Cities On Foot

Telling the Stories of Indigenous Australia Through Dance

A Brazilian Journalist on Life in the Amazon

Is Travel Good for Your Relationship? We Tap Dr. Orna Guralnik for Answers

Author Fariha Roisin Asks: Who Is Wellness For?

Sophia Roe on Mushrooms, Growing Your Own Food, and Filming ‘Counter Space’ Around the Globe

Tanya Holland's California Soul

How Other Cultures Care For Their Dead—And What We Can Learn From Them

Blair Braverman on Surviving—and Embracing—Life in Extreme Cold

Happiness Expert Gretchen Rubin on Overcoming Travel Stress

An Extreme Runner on Tackling Mountain Trails in Bhutan, New Zealand, and More

What Our Voices Say About Us, With Actor Lake Bell

Reflections on Living Abroad

What We Learn About Ourselves When We Travel Solo

A Conversation About Iran Through Its Food

Witches and Rituals Around the Globe

The Kindness of Strangers

Seeing the World By Train

Exploring European Cities On Foot

Finding Connections In the Wilderness

Women Who Travel: New Season Preview

Some important news and a few tears.

We sit down with LEUNE's Nidhi Lucky Handa in the latest episode of Women Who Travel.

A special episode of the Women Who Travel podcast, presented by BodyHoliday Wellness Resort, Saint Lucia.

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner, so we're spending this episode of Women Who Travel on getting back into the outdoors.

We sit down to talk about the ways we're taking care of ourselves in the name of wellness.

Turns out the books we read to relax on vacation aren't that relaxing.

We sit down with sexual wellness expert Laura Delarato to talk about what makes sex on vacation so great, how to take control of your own pleasure, and her new book.

A special episode of the Women Who Travel podcast, presented by Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods.

From learning to drive to country-hopping in Europe and prioritizing restful vacations.

From Dubai to Uruguay.

The actor is the new global ambassador for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Just call us your gifting hotline.

On the latest episode, we chat about traveling while sober or sober-curious.

The poet and activist is Fairmont's new poet-in-residence.

From where to catch fall foliage to how to book a group trip.

Her memoir, ‘Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller,’ is out now.

We spoke to three industry experts about how travel has changed.

We sat down with Anthony Bourdain's assistant and collaborator to hear about her own vacations and the travel confidence she gained along the way.

We Want to Hear from You!

On having grace and compassion for how our bodies are reacting to the trauma of the pandemic.

We sit down with the award-winning author to chat about travel, creativity, and her latest novel, Matrix.

This episode was originally published in September 2020.

This episode was originally published in October 2020.

Travel to Italy, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cape Cod, and more via these must-read, female-authored books.

This week, we're chatting about who gets to tell travel stories with the cofounders of Travel Is Better in Color.

We tackle your travel questions for summer 2021 and beyond.

We chat to the experts to see how we should be tackling a year and a half's worth of credit card points.

This episode was originally published in September 2020.

We sit down with Saira Hospitality founder Harsha L'Acqua to talk all things responsible travel.

We sat down with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA president last summer to chat all things pandemic, union, and more.

A special episode of the Women Who Travel podcast, presented by Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key.

We're all a little rusty.

A special episode of the Women Who Travel podcast, presented by Travel Wyoming.

This week on the podcast, we're having fun.

This episode was originally published in August 2020.

Why America’s Lesbian Bars Need Our Support More Than Ever

We catch up with the singer on the latest episode.

We caught up with Charlotte Simpson, a.k.a. Traveling Black Widow, to talk all things solo travel.

We tap the experts for tips on living on the road responsibly this summer.

From summer destinations open to vaccinated travelers to visa advice for traveling long-term, we've got you covered.

Pack your sunscreen, folding chair, and any of these books for you next trip to the park or the beach.

Michelle Zauner, who performs under the name Japanese Breakfast, chats with us about her new memoir, ‘Crying in H Mart.’

This episode originally aired in July 2020.

Our two guests talk about turning to travel as a way to cope with loss.

We sit down with the ‘Top Chef’ host.

This week, we're passing the mic to Evita Robinson, Jessica Nabongo, and Martinique Lewis.

From friendships to finances.

As our ‘I Deserve This’ series returns, we talk to Babba Rivera about how she's learning to celebrate herself.

We chat to Jaylyn Gough, founder of Native Womens Wilderness.

We sit down with captains Kellie Young and Stephanie Hartsfield.

We catch up with the AAKS founder.

For our latest FAQ episode, we dive into the realities of vaccine passports, extravagant post-pandemic birthday trip inspiration, and more.

Almost a year into the pandemic, things haven't got any easier.

From tackling travel anxieties to dreaming of future trips.

From focusing her lens closer to home to looking to the solo travel trends of the post-pandemic future, here's what Samantha Brown has been up to.

We're talking all things books on our last Women Who Travel podcast episode of the year.

Welcome to Checking In: a wellness podcast to help you feel better.

We catch up with Oahu-based longboard surfer, Nique Miller.

A special episode of the Women Who Travel podcast, presented by Lego.

We're back with another FAQ episode.

And why the outdoors are for everyone to enjoy.

A new podcast, ‘Driving the Green Book,’ is tracing the legacy of the historic travel guide.

Somali author and sauce maven Hawa Hassan joins the podcast this week.

We catch up with women based in Venice, Cancun, Dakar, and Tokyo.

We sit down with the National Geographic photographer and conservationist.

Plus, what to do with all those points and miles.

I Deserve This: Searching for Peace and Serenity Underwater

From booking future trips to planning your own version of study abroad, we've got tips.

Plus-size women are creating their own space in the travel industry.

We sat down with the author to talk about her two novels on this week's podcast episode.

We catch up with the chef, food writer, and author.

I Deserve This: Prioritizing Traveling for Myself

While outdoor retailers have moved beyond the “shrink it and pink it” mentality, there's still more work to do when it comes to inclusive women's gear.

We chat with two digital nomads to see how they make it work, even during a pandemic.

To keep you entertained while extensive travel is still off the table.

We sat down with the Association of Flight Attendants, CWA president to chat all things pandemic, union, and more.

Photographer Malin Fezehai on picking up surfing and staying creative in quarantine.

We're talking about parenting and getting creative about traveling.

Sarah Outen reminisces on her four-year solo journey around the world.

We chat with two wine experts on the bottles getting them through this time.

In this week's episode, we sit down with Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy of BLK MKT Vintage.

We caught up with musical duo Ibeyi during last year's Pitchfork festival in Chicago.

Here's how we're making travel plans this summer.

Three of our advisory board members share their thoughts.

We chat with the women behind New York's Kopitiam and Nightshade in Los Angeles.

We chat with Nikki Smith about her path to rock climbing and the state of the outdoors community.

We run through them all.

And how a year of trips are helping her manage grief after the loss of her partner, Rayya.

We chat with the comedian about canceled tours, quarantine life, and her favorite New York City spots.

Our recommendations for the books getting us through this unprecedented time.

From canceled summer trips to vacations cut short, we're putting things in perspective on this week's episode.

And how she's managing being at home.

The comedian and actor shares why she doesn't run from solo travel anymore.

In conversation with the absolutely delightful chef and host.

You don't have to do it all.

Have a travel problem? We're here to solve it.

We chat about why traveling halfway across the country, two hours down the road, or even just to your bed are equally perfect vacations.

We chat with Celebrity Cruises' Lisa Lutoff-Perlo about dealing with rejection, staving off burnout, and championing gender equality in the travel industry.

The author and host of The High Low podcast spills on her love for Elizabeth Gilbert, solo travel tips, and more.

Saving—and spending—on travel can feel daunting. Here's how to make the most of it.

Whether you're a solo traveler or girls' trip enthusiast, you can find your place in an all-women group vacation.

The Women Who Travel love hotline is open.

How I Visited Every Country in the World: Jessica Nabongo on Setting Records

Plus-size women are creating their own space in the travel industry.

Have your Goodreads shelves at the ready.

We talk about how travel can heal the trauma of photographing war, death, and more—and how it takes years to learn to say "no" to risk.

'Tis the season for cheap flights. Are you ready?

No, really. Take every single, last one.

In this week's episode, writer Dina Nayeri chats with us about traveling for her most recent book, ‘Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You.’

Have a travel problem? We're here to solve it.

A re-run of our January conversation with Jessica Nabongo, who just became the first black woman to visit every country in the world.

For this week’s episode we’re joined by Erika Owen, author of 'The Art of Flaneuring: How to Wander with Intention and Discover a Better Life,' and sex and wellness writer—and Women Who Travel contributor—Laura Delarato.

This isn't family travel with your own kids. This is surviving family travel when you—a fully grown adult—are the kid (or at least the niece and nephew babysitter).

We catch up with Nong Poonsukwattana and Megan Sanchez live at Feast Portland.

For the latest season of her PBS show, Mickela Mallozzi used her own ancestry to decide where she traveled.

Bon Appetit's deputy editor ate at more than 200 restaurants in four months to find the magazine's Hot 10 finalists.

We chat with road warriors to learn the tips and tricks of making the most of a business trip.

We chat with the Bon Appétit stars about their new cookbooks—and the travel that influenced them.

Ahead of competing in the U.S. Open, the tennis superstar sat down to chat.

We sit down with Jada Yuan and Renee Hahnel, two former full-time travelers to hear all about their time on the road—and what settling down after has been like.

The famed Elle columnist chats about her most recent road trip, on the hunt for the answer to the question: "what do we need men for?"

Because wedding season feels like every season, these days.

We caught up with musical duo Ibeyi during Pitchfork festival in Chicago.

You asked, we've answered (again).

And why the outdoors are for everyone to enjoy.

It's like Thelma and Louise—but don't worry, we don't die at the end.

How Immigrant Parents Shaped Our Travel Experiences

We're back with more of our favorite female-authored page-turners.

From Senegalese beaches to 15-mile runs through the Swiss alps, here's some inspiration for your summer itinerary.

And how a year of trips are helping her manage grief after the loss of her partner, Rayya.

How Ace Hotel's Creative Lead Changed the Game

How Evita Robinson Created a Community for Travelers of Color

The Anna Edit's Anna Newton and stylist Shiona Turini stop by.

We Learned How to Love Travel From Our Mothers

The outdoors really can be for all of us.

How to make the money you're already spending work for you (and towards your next vacation).

Get ready for round two.

Listen in for some real talk.

In this week's episode, we sit down with Kate McCue, the first American woman to captain a cruise ship.

The Lilia owner and chef takes a break from her kitchen to stop by our studio.

For our second live taping of 'Women Who Travel,' we took a deep dive into the Texan hotelier's creative process.

A look behind the scenes.

We chat with Bon Appétit's Carla Music and Priya Krishna about their new cookbooks—and the travel that influenced them.

A chat with one of the women changing the landscape of travel.

The trip can be one of the most intimidating to take on your own—but it doesn't have to be.

No, really. Take every single, last one.

Whether you're a solo traveler or girls' trip enthusiast, you can find your place in an all-women group vacation.

The WWT hotline is officially open.

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